Portable, gas-fired heaters are often used by outdoorsmen and workmen to serve as space heaters in small areas. Such heaters are typically used to heat small, closed spaces such as, for example, a small shelter, a tent, a hunting blind, etc. Portable gas heaters may also be used as hand and body warmers in connection with outdoor activities such as ice fishing, skiing and sledding.
A drawback of current portable gas heaters is that they are often bulky and heavy, making their transport inconvenient and thus discouraging their use in connection with many outdoor activities. In addition, current portable gas heaters are relatively expensive. Furthermore, many portable gas heaters are somewhat unstable and are thus subject to accidental tipping. Yet another shortcoming of existing portable heaters is that they tend to emit a broad stream of heated air, rather than focusing the heated air into a single column.